Insecticide spray



" moms J. HEADLEE, on DAYTON, AND Josnrn M. ems'iaune, on NEW nnunswrcx,

Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO TOBACCO Bil -PRODUCTS &"CHEMICAL CORPORATION, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE INSECTIGIDE SPRAY No Drawing.

This invention relates to a new insecticide spray. It relates particularly to such a spray serving as a stomach polson as well as a contact poison.

It has long been known that an insecticide spray containing nicotine was highly efiicient as a contact spray, that is to say a SPIfiXSIlltable for killing sucking insects as distinguished from chewing insects. However, nicotine either free or in the compounds heretofore employed is volatile and very soluble,

so that such sprays did not remain on the plant for a length of time sufficient to serve as eifective stomach poisons for chewing 1nsects.

The object of the present invention 1s to provide an insecticide spray comprising a nicotine compound which will not volatillze readily and will be much less soluble, and, therefore, will remain on the plant for a sulficient length of time to serve as a stomach poison, but which will disappear eventually and leave the plants treated free from undesirable residue such as arseni'cals are used.

With this general object in accumulates when view, the invention consists in an insecticide spray comprising nicotine tannate, which we have found to be sufliciently slow in giving up its nicotine, or being dissolved by rain or dew, that when applied to a plant it wilT remain for some time, .and so poisonous or so distasteful to chewing insects that the plant will be protected against them for a reasonable time.

V Incidentally, of course, any of the spray which may contact with sucking insects will tend to kill them, and the nicotine vapors which. are slowly evolved from the nicotine tannate will be offensive to sucking insects,

so that they are kept away from the plant so long as any appreciable amount of nicotine tannate remains on the plant.

-While the nicotine tannate can be made in advance of its use as a spray, either in powder or paste form, we have found that one of the advantages of, the invention is that the combination of the nicotine with the tan-' nic acid may be brought about when mixing the spray materials, thereby avoiding the ex- Application 1116a January 31,1931. Serial No. 512,?44.

pense of separate special manufacture in advance and also avoiding the losses due to storage of nicotine compounds, or the cost of sealed containers.

An insecticidespray made in accordance with the invention'comprises nicotine tannate in a liquid in which the nicotine tannate is insoluble. Usually watenis employed as the liquid, particularly where the nicotine tannate is not prepared in advance.

vAs one example of an insecticide spray comprising the invention the following is submitted:

In the spray tank of an ordinary sprayer having an agitator in the tank, put about 25 gallons of water. Then, with the agitator running, sift in'about two pounds of tannic acid; then While continuing the agitation pour in slowly, one pound (one pint) of free nicotine solution of about 50% strength, such, for example, as the free nicotine solution sold on the market under the trade name Black Leaf 50. Add water suflicient to make the total 100 gallons, the agitator being still maintained'in operation. The nicotine combines with its equivalent of tannic acid to form the nicotine tannate. The resultant spray liquid contains nicotine tothe extent of about .06 per cent. I

It is to be understood that other matei'lals may be added to the above described spray, so long as such other-materials do not react with the nicotine tannate. I have found that syrup or neutral fish oil may be added to the spray in the tank to serve as stickers and Spreaders without afi'ec'ting the solubility of the nicotine tannate.

An insecticide spray made in accordance,

tine and eventually disap ars from the fruit, so that about twenty ys after spraying the fruit willbe free from poison and hence may be used safel for food purposes,

Where other forms 0 stomach poison insecticides, such as the arsenatesvare used on fruit, the poison remains on the fruit and hence the latter must be subjected to washing processes involving the use of acid, to remove the poison before the fruit is fit for themarket. This is avoided by the present invention.

While we have above particularly referred to the use of nicotine tannate as particularly advantageous in forming an insecticide efli- I cient against chewing insects, we have found that nicotine silicotungstate may be used instead of nicotine tannate with about as good effect but on account of the greater cost of the silicotungstic acid the nicotine tannate is best for general use.

We have also found that other substances, somewhat similar to nicotine in their chemical composition, such as pyridines, piperidines piperazines, pyrrolidines and like com pounds when combined with tannic acid are equally eflicient against chewing insects and may be used instead of nicotine tannate.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. A stomach and a contact poison insecticide, consisting of a chemical combination of tannic acid and nicotine, known as nicotine tannate.

2. Stomach poison insecticide consisting of chemical compounds of tannic acid with one of the class of pyridines, piperidines, piperazines, and pyrrolidines.

3. An insecticide spray material comprising water, nicotine tannate and a small excess of free tannic acid.'

4. An insecticide spray material comprising water and nicotine tannate in the proportion of about .06 per cent nicotine.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands. A

THOMAS J. HEADLEE. JOSEPH M. GINSBURG. 

